Weitzman exhibit, opening April 28 at the Mendocino County Museum, blends history and craft

A retrospective exhibit by longtime Round Valley resident David Weitzman opens Sunday, April 28, with a 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. reception at the Mendocino County Museum on East Commercial Street.

"The Telling Line: A Display of Illustrations by David Weitzman" showcases almost 40 pen-and-ink drawings on polyester film in the museum's Long Gallery. The drawings represents the three decades during which Weitzman has united history, technical know-how, and detailed writing in a series of children's books that document Americans' traditional occupations and trades.

Weitzman's books include "Skywalkers: How Mohawk Ironworkers Build the City," "Superpower: The Making of a Steam Locomotive," and "Old Ironsides: Americans Build a Fighting Ship." He's also penned books on subway construction, airplanes and harvest threshers.

"They are about young people becoming adults through their work and through their craft," Weitzman explained.

Weitzman conducted meticulous research for each book, studying historical documents and interviewing people involved in the trade. He then created text and illustrations that are both technically detailed and entertaining.

He says he often uses family members and friends as models, including well-known Willits resident "Grandma" Mavis Bromaghim, whose life and work in quilting were celebrated in the mural by the Noyo Theatre.

Weitzman's drawings of Locomotive No. 14, part of the Roots of Motive Power, Inc. collection, and of the shipwreck of the Frolic whose remains are displayed in the Museum, also will be shown.

"I'm kind of an archeologist," said Weitzman, a Covelo resident since 1974. I'm preserving things for future generations that probably won't return."

Before World War II, he noted, most young people did not finish high school. Instead, they entered the workforce at the age of 15 or even younger, apprenticing themselves to a trade. His books document and honor the expertise and effort needed to build the machines and transportation systems that sustain us, even as many of these skills are being lost to rapid technological change.

The reception is free, and includes free admission to the museum. Refreshments will be served.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artist.

The museum is located at 400 East Commercial Street, across from Recreation Grove Park and the rodeo grounds. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.